Ankara: Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel on Wednesday condemned the escalation of violence in the occupied West Bank and called for 'maximum restraint.'

According to Anadolu Agency, Rangel expressed "great concern" over the escalating violence, particularly in the context of Israel's ongoing military operation, and stressed the obligation to protect the civilian population. He stated that violence by Israeli occupiers and the expansion of settlements violate international law and continue to undermine prospects for peace.

Rangel also reaffirmed Portugal's commitment to a two-state solution, describing it as "the only path to achieving a just, lasting, and sustainable peace." The escalation occurred amid intensified Israeli army operations and attacks by Israeli occupiers across the occupied West Bank since the start of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023.

According to Palestinian figures, at least 1,182 Palestinians have been killed, around 13,000 injured, and nearly 24,000 arrested in the occupied West Bank during this period. The pace of Israeli raids and violations has further intensified since Friday's violence in the town of Tell, near Nablus, where four Palestinians and two Israelis were killed during an attack by Israeli occupiers under the protection of the Israeli army, as reported by Palestinian sources.